A Hilltop in suburbia
by alex.szeto
Summary: Set after Nishino departs from Japan, Manaka finds himself in a state of (minor?) depression. He realizes that he needs to take a vacation and get away from it all, but doesn't know where that journey will take him, or what old flames it can rekindle. Told from Manaka's point of view. Rated T for now, but it may change.


**Author's note: I do not own Ichigo 100%. Please R/R! I hope that this will become a fully-fledged fanfic series.**

**A hilltop in suburbia**

Chapter One

She left. Possibly forever. The girl that I shared many firsts with is gone from my side. Outside the window, I witnessed the airplane carrying Tsukasa fly away, until it was no more than a speck on the horizon. She would be whisked into a land of mystique, romance and culture, whilst I, who still loved her, would remain behind to do naught but bask in her sweet memory. The prospect of her leaving did not seem real until that final moment at the gate, where I could not do anything but wish she could stay right here, by my side. Only now did I wake from my foolish high school dream, thrust into the world of harsh realities. She left me with the most beautiful of smiles, one that reminded me of why I loved her, and why we were no longer together. She left to a faraway place to fulfill her ambitions, and I had no choice but to let her go. How does the old saying go again? "If you love someone, set them free". Although it's anything but oddly appropriate for the occasion, saying that phrase in my head brought rivets of hot, fresh tears to my eyes, and I wept. I wept for all the mistakes I had made, for all the times that I hurt my beloved, but most of all for the missed opportunities that presented themselves.

She had asked me if we would be together again. I'd certainly like to think that we'd grow old together, but years apart from one another would do a horrific number on our relationship. With a body that trembled, I managed to slowly walk away from the place that had ultimately brought Tsukasa away from me, to a place that I had never been before. Hours of aimless wondering around all our old haunts brought me to a shrine. Off the beaten path, it was located upon a hilltop in suburbia. Shadows created by the combination of a setting sun and the bells that were usually present in a shrine danced around the courtyard. Whilst the bells played a melancholic melody that suited the chaos in my heart, the shadows danced the day away and welcomed the coming of night. I didn't know the shrine's name, but the scene in front of my eyes evoked a sense of peace that welled up from within to encompass my being. For the moment, I could just let the thoughts in my head grow dimmer and dimmer, just like the day was becoming.

Of course, this vision of peace, quiet and happiness would not last. As soon as darkness gripped the sky above, rain began to fall, drenching my entire being. My only wish is that the water falling from above would quench the thirst in my soul, and in the process, banish the longing in my soul for a person that would not be back for a very, very long time. A tiny part of me wished to be swept away by the rainwater. I looked at my watch, the face of which had been covered with droplets of water. 6:45PM. It was getting late. Taking a mental note of the location of this shrine, I slowly dragged my soaked body back to my house. I let myself be cleansed by the scalding waters of a bath when an epiphany hit me. I needed a distraction, something to keep myself from thinking about the love that I had lost, whether it was friendly or romantic. And so, I applied on the computer for a job in manual labor with the goal of earning enough to pay for a getaway, a vacation from my troubled mind.

**Author's note no.2:** Hope you guys like the direction this work is headed in, even if it's not all that clear. Personally, I loved the ending of the original, but I can't help but wonder what would've happened if he had ended up with Satsuki or Toujou. Thus, this work was born =). Please enjoy, rate and review =D


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